Page 35 of Unleashed

She’s so wet I can hear each flick of my fingers, and I can’t overstate how much that pleases me. Maren can claim not to want me till she runs out of breath, but it’s clearly not true. She can even claim it’s about the money, but that isn’t any more factual. The money is just an excuse. Probably for both of us. A reason to call this anything besides what it really is.

It wouldn’t do me any good to accept the truth anyway. It’s not like this can be more than a few minutes here and there. I’m not the kind of man who can offer a woman what she really wants. And I’m definitely not capable of giving a single mother the time she and her daughter deserve.

That’s why I savor the sound of Maren coming against my fingers. The sight of her flushed skin in the seconds before she comes to her senses, tugging her skirt back into place before she rushes from the room.

And the taste of her as I suck every trace of slick from my skin before opening my phone so I can deposit a thousand more dollars into her bank account.

12

Maren

“Is everything okay?”

I nearly jump out of my skin at the sound of Brooke’s voice behind me. Spinning away from the printer on a shelf behind my desk, I smooth down my hair with one hand, attempting to look like her brother-in-law didn’t just finger fuck me in one of the meeting rooms.

“Fine.” The word comes out as a squeak, so I clear my throat and try again. “I’m fine. Why?”

Brooke’s dark brows pinch together. “You just seem a little jumpy.”

“I’m not jumpy. I’m fine.” I stand a little taller, hoping to ease whatever concerns she’s thinking about having. “Did you need something?”

“No.” Brooke gives me a little smirk. “I was just coming to make sure you didn’t strangle Trevor during your meeting.”

“Nope. Did not strangle him.” Maybe his fingers a little. With my vagina.

Oh my God. What the fuck am I doing? Having sex with Trevor outside of the office is one thing. Not a great thing, but not completely unmanageable.

Letting him get me off during work hours is something else entirely.

Brooke laughs softly. “That’s good, because if he doesn’t come to dinner tonight, Deidre will kill him.”

I’ve heard the Bradshaws talk about family dinner night plenty of times before, but I still can’t really grasp the concept. Technically, Zara and I have dinner together every night, but the two of us sitting at our tiny table eating whatever I quickly whip up doesn’t sound anything like the elaborate, crazy-pants Thursday nights the Bradshaws spend together. I can’t imagine what having a family is like, and imagining a family who enjoys spending time together is even more difficult.

“You should come sometime.” Brooke drops down into the chair behind my desk, spinning a little from side to side. “Deidre is such a great cook. And as long as no one shows up drunk to start a fight, they’re actually pretty fun.”

The Bradshaws also frequently discuss the evening Brooke’s ex fiancé showed up drunk and ready to rumble. I’m not sure what the fuck he was thinking, because all five of the Bradshaw boys—Walker is technically a McKinley, but I’m not trying to differentiate—are super fit and super strong. They aren’t the sort most people would want to take on individually, let alone as a group.

That includes Trevor. He certainly had no issues holding my weight up while he fucked me against the wall.

Brooke tilts her head. “Are you sure you’re okay? You seem a little distracted.”

That’s one way to put it. “I think I’m just tired. Zara has had a lot going on lately, and I feel like I’m always running around.”

Thankfully, I won’t be running around tonight, and I’m so looking forward to going home, putting on my soft pants, and couch rotting.

“You are such a good sister.” Brooke rolls her eyes as I groan. “I know you hate hearing it because it makes you uncomfortable when someone compliments you. But you genuinely are awesome at being a parent.”

“You’re giving me way too much credit. I’m just taking care of her the way a child deserves to be taken care of.”

Am I perfect at it? Absolutely not. Is she probably gonna need therapy for some weird thing I accidentally do? More than likely. Will I go to therapy with her so we can work on any problems I’ve caused? Fuck yes, I will. I want what’s best for Zara. End of story.

Brooke gives me a soft smile. “You and I both know lots of people don’t take care of kids the way they deserve.”

Having shitty parents is probably what brought Brooke and I together. How we ended up best friends so quickly. I love Mariah. She’s fucking amazing. Ruth is great. I love how she doesn’t take shit. But Brooke gets me. We’re very different people, but she understands why I am the way I am. And I understand her. Her parents and my mother raised us in completely different ways, but we both ended up heavily scarred because of our childhoods. Both carry deep wounds that will likely never fully heal.

And nothing brings people together like trauma.

“Speaking of people who don’t take care of their kids the way they deserve, have you heard from your shitty-ass parents?” I’ve been dying to know if they reached out before or after Brooke and Toby’s wedding, but the question didn’t organically come up until now. I try my best not to think about my own mother, so I imagine Brooke is the same way.